MARIA CALLAS FULL
MARIA CALLAS PROFESSIONAL

Most of this generous (74 minutes) CD is culled from recordings from the mid-1950sвЂ“the Gianni Schicchi aria a delicious miniature, the Wally aria a portrait of despair, ButterflyвЂ™s вЂњUn bel diвЂќ sung like a hopeful teenager, MimiвЂ™s two arias the soul of sincerity, вЂњLa mamma mortaвЂќ a mini-opera in itself. ThereвЂ™s never anything haphazardly phrased or carelessly thought through a keen mind is wedded here to a musicality that from the moment it begins instinctively knows where a vocal lineвЂ“or an emotive lineвЂ“is going. Even with her well-known vocal blemishesвЂ“a distinct wobble in the 1961 вЂњCasta divaвЂќ, badly knit registers in the Carmen excerpts from 1964вЂ“you know youвЂ™re in the face of greatness when Callas sings. What also carries her today is, of course, her grandly turbulent and tragic image - an Г‰dith Piaf of opera.If youвЂ™re like me, itвЂ™s always been Callas Гјber Alles however, many other people still need proof. She was certainly one of the most emotive and visually dramatic. Despite a career that flourished less than two decades, Callas must be respected as one of the more important and recognizable opera legends. Riddled by sadness and despair, and by now firmly addicted to sleeping pills, Maria turned reclusive in her last year and died of a heart attack in 1977 at age 53. Her last public performance was on November 11, 1975. In one last comeback, she attempted a European tour of recitals but her voice completely failed her.

The following year she filmed an unsuccessful production of Medea (1969) and eventually set up master classes at Juilliard. Maria was completely devastated and those around her say she never recovered. But their relationship was a stormy one and it eventually tapered off with Onassis instead marrying Jacqueline Kennedy in 1968.

With her career over, she renounced her American citizenship and expected to marry Onassis. Weak and tired, her final curtain on stage rang down in July of 1965 in Covent Garden. Despite experiencing vocal problems, she made one unforgettable comeback on stage in 1964-1965 when she toured with her personal favorites ('Norma' in Paris and 'Tosca' at the Met). Maria gave up the stage in the early 1960s for the jet-set life with Onassis, but continued with occasional concerts. After meeting Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis through her husband, a torrid affair erupted and her marriage ended.

MARIA CALLAS FULL

Within a couple of years her temperamental outbursts and excessive demands began to rise full force, resulting in a number of dismissals and walkouts. In 1956, she finally made her debut at the Met as 'Norma' with performances of 'Tosca' and 'Lucia' following. She reached her zenith at La Scala (1951-1958), also recording during that time. They married in 1949 and he immediately took control of her career. Maria performed elsewhere (Chicago, etc.) before returning to Europe in the post-war years where she met Giovanni Battista Meneghini, a wealthy industrialist and avid opera fan. She was offered a contract from the Met which she turned down because among the three roles she was offered to sing there was Butterfly and she believed that she was too obese to sing the fragile 14 year-old Butterfly, her friends considered her to be crazy turning down the Met while she was so unknown. Impending war led her back to the United States in 1944 where she reclaimed the name of Maria Callas. While there she made a semi-name for herself with performances of 'Tosca' and 'Fidelio.'

MARIA CALLAS PROFESSIONAL

She performed her first recital within the year and in 1939 won a prize for her stage debut in the Conservatoire's production of 'Cavalleria Rusticana.' In 1941, the soprano dramatico d'agilita made her professional debut in 'Boccaccio' with the Lyric Theatre Company. The budding singer was quickly accepted into the National Conservatoire where she was taught singing lessons by Maria Trivella. When her parents separated (she was 14 at the time), her mother returned to Athens with Maria and her sister. Her father set up a pharmacy and changed the family name from Kalogeropoulos to Callas. This volatile opera diva was born Sophie Cecilia Kalos in New York City to Greek Г©migrГ©s on December 2, 1923.

Maria callas